Tray cabinet



p 5, 1953 w. J. GRAY 2,652,309

' TRAY CABINET Filed Jan. 13, 1950 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY-5 Sept. 15, 1953 w. J. GRAY 2,652,309

TRAY CABINET Filed Jan. 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 49 0 MIN 39 1a w I -l IL! 32 I 5 I n j 6 22 2 13 f na i- -T EE m ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAY CABINET Willis J. Gray, Detroit, Mich. Application January 13, 1950, Serial N 0. 138,486

. .3 Claims. 1

"This invention relates to a tray cabinet. The invention is particularly useful in connection wlth a nursery stand or bed "to which the cabinet maybe attached for providing convenient access to nursery or medical supplies supported within the cabinet.

An object of the invention is to provide a tray cabinet arranged for supporting nursery or medical supplies or other articles and equipped with closure means which may be manipulated from different sides thereof. Other objects of the invention are to provide a closed tray which 'keeps out dust and other contaminating objects, and to provide in a single suitable sanitary container individual supplies necessary for the care of a single baby and thereby prevent cross-infection from one infant to another in a hospital nursery; and in home use it provides a convenient place for the storage in a sanitary manner for convenient use by the mother the articles necessary for the care of an infant. In either case, the invention is capable of easily being kept in a sanitary condition by means of the removable tray. Yet another object is to provide a tray cabinet adapted to extend across the end of a stand or bed and to be 'rel'easably secured thereto, the cabinet being equipped with a closure operable from-eithersldeof the stand or bed. Yet another object is to provide a tray cabinet of cabinet design which may be opened throughout its length with a minimum of etlort and which will remain opened and closed after the closure thereof is moved to such positions. A still further object is to provide a tray cabinet iormed of 'fewparts and in which a tray may be releasably supported while providing independent rotating closure means for movement to open and closed positions. Other specific objects and ad-- vantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of a tray cabinet embodying my invention and shown applied to a, nursery or bassinet stand; Fig. 2, a top plan view of a cabinet on an enlarged scale, the closure of the cabinet being in open position; Fig. 3, an enlarged detailed sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 2 but with the tray removed from the cabinet; and Fig. 5, a transverse sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line -5 of Fig. 2.

In the illustration given, the cabinet A is shown secured to the stand B "which supports a beesinet C. The stand and bassinet are of wellknown construction and are set out as illustrave of structures to which the cabinet A may be secured. Instead of the stand B, the cabinet A may be secured to a bed or table so as to thus provide a supply of articles within convenient reach.

The tray cabinet A is provided with a straight front wall ID, a bottom wall H, a rear arcuate wall 12, and in the specific illustration given upper edges of the walls are turned downwardly at l3 to provide a reinforced edge. The lower casing is also provided with end walls H.

To the front wall In is secured a bracket member l5 which is threaded at at least two points to receive the screws I 6. The screws l8 extend through the clamping bar 11 and bring the bar I1 tightly against the vertical legs ll of the stand B.

Above the lower casing is mounted an elonated closure [9 which is semicircular in cross section. The closure 15 is provided with end walls 20 which extend inwardly and in overlapping relation with the end walls H of the lower casing. A pivot rod 2| extends through the overlapping portions of the end walls 20 of closure 19 and the end walls H of the lower casing.

The inner ends of the pivot rods 2| extend through the vertical flanges '22 of a bracket 23. The bracket 23 provides a side flange 24 extending from the front toward but spaced from the rear wall 12 and at each end of the lower casing. Extending between the bracket portions 24 is the longitudinally-extending bracket portion 25. The bracket 23 thus formed of the parts 24 and 25 provides a platform. for receiving the article tray 26.

As shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, the bracket 23 is supported at each end by the pivots 2| and in addition the bracket is secured to the front wall H) by spot welding as indicated at 21 in Fig. 5. Thus a stationary and rigid bracket 23 is supported within the lower casing and with the rear ends of the bracket wings 24 spaced from the rear wall l2 to provide a space for the movement of the semicircular closure [9. If desired, spacers or washers 28 may be provided about the pivot 2| and between the walls I4, 20 and 22.

The tray 26 may be of any suitable construction. In the illustration given, the tray is equipped with a bottom wall 29 adapted to rest upon the bracket portions 23 and forwardly of the rear wall I2. The wing flanges 24 of the bracket 23 are preferably provided with a short raised flange 30 to support the trays 20 at a spaced distance from the rear arcuate wall l2 of the casing or lower cabinet portion. The tray is also provided with an upper wall 3| which is spaced from the lower wall 20 and which is provided with apertures for receiving bottles 32, a thermometer container 33, a soap dish 34, and a variety of other articles. It will be understood that the bottles, containers, talcum powder dispensers and other receptacles are merely illustrative of the articles or instruments that may be supported by the tray. In the illustration given, the tray is equipped at each end with semicircular for holding instruments, etc.

Operation In the operation of the device, the cabinet is I secured to a stand or bed by securing the clamp bar I! through the use of screws 10, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The closure 19 maybe manipulated by grasping the handle 38 or by pressing ones hand against any portion of the cylindrical cover I9 and rolling the same back. Thus, from either side of the stand or bed, the nurse, attendant, or physician, etc. may quickly move the cover back to open position by merely pressing outwardly against the cover. When the cover has moved a short distance and over center. it will swing automatically to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5. Engagement of the lower edge of the closure I9 with the bottom of the bracket 23 limits the rotative movement of the closure i9. Again, when the closure is swung forwardly to closed position, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 5, the closure remains permanent1y in closed position. In either of the movements described the tray is supported firmly in the position illustrated by means of the fixed bracket structure 23.

The tray 26 may be removed from the cabinet when desired and may be readily replaced therein. By providing an elongated cabinet with the semicircular closure therefor, it is found that the articles needed for the nursery or for other uses may be conveniently supported in spaced relation for ready use while at the same time means are DI' vided for quickly closing or opening the cabinet throughout its length. I

While in the foregoing specification I have set forth specifically a structure in considerable detail, it will be understood that such details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a cabinet, an open casing provided with end walls and an arcuate rear wall, a closure for said casing having end walls and being arcuate n cross section, said closure having the lower pordepressions 35 providing a means tion of its end walls overlapping the upper portion of the casing end walls, pivots connectin said end walls of the casing and closure at their overlapping portions whereby said closure s swingable on said pivots from a closure positio to a nested position within said casing, and a generally horizontal U-shaped bracket secured at its forward edge to the forward wall of said cas ng, the rear edges of said U-shaped bracket being turned upwardly to provide a vertical flan spaced from the rear wall of said casing, said bracket also being equipped with generally vertical end walls spaced from the end walls of said closure and said casing and. being secured to Said pivots, whereby said bracket is supported interiorly of said casing while permitting said closure to bemoved to a nesting position within said casing.

2. In a cabinet, an open casing provided with a forward wall, end walls and an arcuate rear wall. a closure for said casing having end walls and being'arcuate in cross section, said closure havin the lower portion of its end walls overlapping the upper portions of the casing end walls, pivots connecting the end walls of said casing and closure at their overlapping portions, and a bracket mounted within said casing and being adapted to receive a tray, said bracket comprising a generally horizontal platform member secured to th forward-wall of said casing and being spaced from the end walls of said casing, and a pair of rearwardly-extending bracket portions equipped with vertical side flanges and vertical end flanges spaced from the rear wall of said casing, said side flanges being secured to said pivots, whereby said bracket is supported interiorly of said casing while said closure is swingable on said pivots through the space between said bracket portions and the rear arcuate wall to a nested position within said casing, said bracket providing a stop for said closure to limit the inner swinging movement thereof and also providing a stop to limit the closing movement thereof.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which each of said vertical side flanges is provided at its upper forward edge with a notch for receiving the forward edge of said closure when in closed position.

WILLIS J. GRAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hilliker May 1, 1951 

